Analysis of Immigrant Characters in Reaching Out and Real Women Have Curves

When one typically think of a person trying to balance a life for themselves, trying the best that they can, far as going to school and managing a family life. It is hard to attend classes, study and be active on campus when you have family that depend on you and requires your attention as well. It is rare that you find a high school kid working trying to support their family along with trying to fulfill their dreams and goals of going off to college and becoming successful. As I have read the book Reaching Out by Francisco Jimenez, and watch the movie Real Women Have Curves. I find that Francisco, in Reaching Out and Ana, in Real Women Have Curves have a lot of similarities, they both come from poor Mexican family that has had to struggle all of their life.

As I look back into my life as a young adult. I didn’t have many responsibilities my mom did everything for me and my sibling, my mother had my brother and I at a very young age, she left home from with her parents to be with my dad and the only income she had was from my grandfather who served in war war 2 and had past on `to be with the lord due to a drunk driver on the Dumbarton Bridge. My mother have always promised me and my brother that she would do the best she could to raise use without us ever wanting for anything, although, we never really seen her due to her having two jobs, we never went hungry. All my mother ever wanted from my brother and I, is to go to school get good grades and one day raise a family of our own. Going to school was the only responsibilities we had. Therefore when I see other kids with huge responsibilities I feel bad for them. Ana in Real Women Have Curve her mother never wanted her to pursue her dreams of going off to college; instead she wanted her to work in the sewing shop, which should not have been a responsibility.

Leaving for college is a big step for Francisco and Ana. Francisco mother was very sad; “Estoy muy orgullosa de ti, mijo!” She stated “I’m very proud of you”. Although, she didn’t want Francisco to go so far away to college she was still happy for him and wish his father could have been there to see him gradated and wish him off. On the other had Ana’s mom Carmencita, hated the fact that her daughter was going to go off to college, she wanted Ana to either find another job or to work for her sister Estella. Francisco and Ana had other hopes and dreams of attending college and their parents had to except their decision.

After filling out the college application and writing the long essay on her life that she was in fear of writing. Ana was so surprised when her teacher showed up to her home with the great news. Ana had been accepted to Columbus University with a full scholarship. Francisco was also accepted into Columbus University with a full scholarship for teaching. With the help of Ana’s and Francisco’s teachers pushing them to move forward and to not let anything stand in their way.

Francisco and Ana knew what they wanted to do with their life they didn’t want to live how they had been live working in a sweatshop as Ana would call it and Francisco they knew that manual labor and hard work wouldn’t bring him success. Francisco wanted to provide for his family and they both knew it would take education, going to college.